... UNHCR MI Officer Jerome Serenghi presented
Shelter Sector Working Group Coordination Tuesday 11/02/2014 UNHCR Beirut Minutes of Meeting ______________________________________________________________________________
Following a welcome note; thanking agencies, the shelter coordinator referred to the ongoing update of the inventory of shelter related stocks particularly in Beka’a vis a vis the Arsa’al evolving situation. The winterization accumulated figure for 2013-2014 has reached 98.3% coverage of the inter-agency plan for this winter as per the Shelter Coordinator. 1. Mass Information- Interagency Q&A UNHCR MI Officer Jerome Serenghi presented a general overview of mass information examples, needs and gaps in Lebanon. MI Officer reiterated the need to create an interagency Q&A in order to have a standardized and harmonized information document to be shared to all humanitarian partners, GoL, and refugees. The shelter part of the Q&A will be: -
Produced and endorsed by the WG,(similar procedures by all WG) Integrated within a larger Q&A version that UNHCR will compile/collect from all WGs. Shared with refugees through multiple mechanisms, including the existing refugee outreach (ROV). Agencies will only read the Q&A to the refugees without any distribution of printed materials.
MI Officer will soon with the Shelter WG, the relevant SOPs for comments and endorsement. 2. NGO Co-Leads Shelter Coordinator raised the regional approach to form a core group of agencies at the national working group level. Besides, he raised the issue of the NGO co-Lead of the shelter working group/s both at the field and central levels. Reiterating that that process has been already rolled out to the field in Lebanon, the shelter coordinator invited agencies at the central level to co-lead and underlined the voluntary nature of this contribution whereas an agency would provide all necessary resources. The coordinator also reiterated the need to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – Lebanon Branch Office, Ramlet el-Baida Khater Building, Dr. Philippe Hitti Street, P.O. Box 11-7332 Tel.: +961 1 849 201 Fax: +961 1 849 211 E-mail:
[email protected]
rotate every 4-6 months in order to ensure participation and space including for national NGOs who have the relevant expertise and capacity. 3. Update on mapping of Informal Settlements 50 Licenses and devices are already purchased and mapping has already started. Data collection will focus on the following: -
GPS coordinates of IS
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Number of existing tents
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Number of present population
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Contact/Details of IS Focal Point (Shawish)
Colleagues from protection sector suggested adding questions on the estimated number of non-registered population in each mapped IS. 4. Updates from Temporary Technical Committees (TTCs) Weatherproofing TTC: Save the Children (Focal point) presented the latest updates from the weatherproofing technical committee as follows: -
The different types of weatherproofing kits are being harmonized among involved shelter members.
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A tentative 2014 timeline is drafted. As per the timeline, weatherproofing activites for winter 2014 will be starting next August. However this is to be verified taking into consideration available funding and other parameters.
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Unfinished buildings are tackled by the weatherproofing activities including converted garages and other substandard accommodations
Small shelter Units TTC: NRC (Focal Point) presented a guideline document for the rehabilitation of SSUs mainly stressing on the building selections and the minimum shelter rehabilitation standards. While it has been set that the minimum rent free negotiated duration is 12 months, it has been agreed to annex necessary legal documents among involved parties in the rehabilitation agreement.
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5. Rehabilitation of small shelters, RRP6 objectives. Shelter coordinator reiterated the RRP6 objectives whereby rehabilitation of small shelters falls under the objective to increase shelter space i.e, to rehabilitate empty houses. Thus, in view of the increasing numbers of refugees entering the country and the increased eviction cases, the Coordinator encouraged agencies to address more empty houses to rehabilitate for refugee use. While the shelter coordinator emphasized the need to improve living conditions in small shelter units, he also emphasized the “pressing” need to find more space. A discussion was held, with no conclusions over percentages of occupied versus empty houses rehabilitation. In view of the dissemination of the TTC guidelines on rehabilitation of small shelter units, shelter coordinator asked agencies to provide any further comments to NRC early next week, prior to adoption of the guidelines. One of the agencies also asked the same TTC to study the legal issues relevant to small shelter units rehabilitation and use by refugees. 6. Shelter part in the Multi-sectoral assessment Acted, being part of the MSNA team, reiterated the ongoing process, and the need for agencies to provide their assessments and other relevant documents. Further follow up with take place in view of the presentation of LEIF at the IA inter-sectoral meeting on Friday 14 feb.
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